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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25488436">The Sweetest Thing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothicDeetz/pseuds/GothicDeetz'>GothicDeetz</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown &amp; King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cemetery, Dead People, Emotional, Emotional Baggage, Emotions, F/M, Gen, Ghosts, Happy, Happy Ending, Multi, One Shot, One of My Favorites, Reunions, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Sad, Sad and Happy, Sad with a Happy Ending, Surprises, Sweet, Talking, Talking To Dead People, Tearjerker, Tears</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:48:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,192</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25488436</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothicDeetz/pseuds/GothicDeetz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the first anniversary of the death of Lydia's mom. As a special surprise, her dad and Delia take her out to the cemetery where her mom is buried. An even more special surprise happens when Emily's ghost appears in front of them for a brief moment. How will Lydia and her dad deal with their emotional reunion with her?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charles Deetz &amp; Delia Deetz &amp; Adam Maitland &amp; Barbara Maitland, Charles Deetz &amp; Delia Deetz &amp; Emily Deetz &amp; Lydia Deetz, Charles Deetz &amp; Delia Deetz &amp; Lydia Deetz, Charles Deetz &amp; Delia Deetz &amp; Lydia Deetz &amp; Adam Maitland &amp; Barbara Maitland, Charles Deetz/Delia Deetz, Lydia Deetz &amp; Adam Maitland &amp; Barbara Maitland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Sweetest Thing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ping! A notification that made sixteen year-old Lydia's eyes well up with hot tears appeared on her phone: December 30th, the day mom died. Lydia put her phone on her bedside table as she slid out of bed and pulled on her everyday outfit. Exiting her room, she picked up her phone again. She had no plans for the day and any and all of them could be up to her four parents. </p><p> </p><p>Opening her phone and pulling up its photo app, Lydia scrolled and scrolled until she came across one of the last pictures of her mom and smiled down at it, touching it with a finger as she continued down the stairs. She entered the kitchen and looked up to find all four of her parents looking at her with smiles on their faces. Lydia smiled back at them and sat down, closing the photo app on her phone and setting it on the counter.</p><p> </p><p>"What're you looking at, Lydia?" asked Adam as Barbara prepared some breakfast for the teenager.</p><p> </p><p>Lydia took a bite of the cereal Barbara had placed in front of her. "A picture of my mom. I can't believe it's been a year since she died."</p><p> </p><p>Her parents could sense the sadness in their daughter's voice.</p><p> </p><p>"Neither can I." Charles stood up and moved over to the sink to clear away his bowl and glass. "After Emily died, both Lydia and I set notifications in our phones to remind ourselves of the saddest day of our lives. It was heartbreaking to open my phone and finding the notification pop up and I'm sure Lydia feels the same way seeing that notification pop up on her phone. Right, Lydia, sweetheart?"</p><p> </p><p>Lydia nodded and Charles and Delia led her over to the couch when she was done with eating her breakfast.</p><p> </p><p>She didn't know why, but her dad and Delia sat down on the floor in front of her, her dad taking her hand in his own. Before she could protest, Delia did the same thing with her other hand and the Maitlands floated over to join them in the living room.</p><p> </p><p>"Did you need something, dad, Delia?" asked Lydia with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.</p><p> </p><p>"We've got a special surprise for you," explained Delia with a smile on her face, making Lydia excited. What could this be? "How about Charles and I take you to the local flower shop to pick up some carnations and daisies and then take you to the cemetery to place those flowers on your mom's grave. How does that sound?"</p><p> </p><p>Lydia smiled even brighter. Carnations and daisies were always her mom's favorite types of flowers. "Yes! Yes, yes! I can't wait!"</p><p> </p><p>"So it's arranged then. We'll be leaving in ten minutes." Charles stood up and went to his office to do something.</p><p> </p><p>The car ride to the cemetery wasn't all that long. They'd stopped by the flower shop to pick up four bouquets: two of carnations and two of daisies. As they walked into the cemetery and  after they made their way to Emily's grave, both Lydia and Charles placed their bouquets down and Lydia sighed before saying, "Mom. I can't believe it's been a year since you died of cancer and my dad and I are both still going strong. We've grown closer and have moved on from the pain of losing you. We've gained new family members and we've grown to be a big family. Strange and unusual but a big family."</p><p> </p><p>Lydia looked to Delia, giving her a smile and getting one in return, then returned her attention back towards her mom's grave. She couldn't believe what - Or who she was seeing before her very eyes. She looked back towards her dad and Delia and saw they had the same looks of wonder and amazement in their eyes. She turned to face the ghost of her mom again and sniffled before saying,</p><p> </p><p>"Mom! Is that really you?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes, it's me. C'mere, Lydia."</p><p> </p><p>Emily kneeled down and held out her arms to give Lydia a hug. As Lydia ran into her dead mom's arms and felt the coldness of them wrapping around her, Charles couldn't help but smile at the tearful reunion between his late wife and daughter. Emily looked up at Charles and beckoned him to come over with a transparent hand. Delia stayed behind, not wanting to interrupt this touching moment.</p><p> </p><p>“Delia? Are you coming?” asked Charles, turning to face his second wife.</p><p> </p><p>“Nono, I don’t want to interrupt your touching moment with your late first wife. You go on ahead. I’ll just wait right here.” Delia offered her husband a smile and he gave her one in return, continuing on his way to reunite with his first wife. After a quick moment, they parted and Charles stepped off to the side.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s Delia, right?” Emily let go of Lydia and stood up. Lydia watched as her mom went over towards Delia and extended a hand for the Life Coach to take. Delia nodded. “It’s nice to meet you, Delia.”</p><p> </p><p>She started to fade and her husband, daughter, and Delia looked on with sadness.</p><p> </p><p>“I gotta go back to the Netherworld,” Emily explained. “But I promise I’ll come by and visit you sometime and meet the rest of the family you mentioned, Lyds. Charles, do you and Lydia still live in our apartment?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, we moved into that house on that hill over there.” Charles pointed towards said house and Emily turned her attention onto it.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, I see.” Emily chuckled. “Thank you for the flowers. It was great getting to see you guys again. And it was great meeting you, Delia.</p><p> </p><p>“It was great meeting you too.” Delia offered Emily a smile and got one in return. Lydia ran over to her mom and gave her one last hug before Emily faded away completely, having gone back to the Netherworld.</p><p> </p><p>Charles and Delia led a sobbing, but happy Lydia out of the cemetery, Charles equally as emotional as the teenager was. The car ride home was the same length as the car ride to the cemetery and the Deetzes entered their house to find Adam and Barbara waiting for them with smiles on their faces.</p><p> </p><p>“How was your trip to the cemetery, Lydia?” asked Barbara as the teen hung up her coat and turned to her.</p><p> </p><p>“Good. It was good.” Lydia was literally bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. “We got to see the ghost of my late mother.”</p><p> </p><p>“I see...” Barbara let out a chuckle as she, Adam, and Lydia went into the kitchen. “That must have been an emotional and tearful reunion.”</p><p> </p><p>“It was.” Charles and Delia hung up their coats as well and joined the other three in the kitchen. “None of us were even expecting it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Dad.” Lydia turned to face her father. “I wonder if Betelgeuse had anything to do with it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you’ll have to summon him and see,” her father replied with a chuckle, prompting his daughter to do so.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay...” Lydia turned and let out a deep breath. “Betelgeuse! Betelgeuse!! BETELGEUSE!!!”</p><p> </p><p>“You called, Scarecrow?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you liked this one shot. Comments and kudos are appreciated. :).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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